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Health & Fitness

National Teacher Day: Dr. Terry Woodford-Thomas is recognized by the Ladue School district

For the past three years, Dr. Woodford-Thomas has worked with the school district to establish and sustain the Ladue Student Mentoring Program for middle and high school science-minded students. 

 

Dr. Terry Woodford-Thomas, Sally and Derick Driemeyer Director of Science Education and Outreach at the Danforth Center, was presented with the Ladue School District Friends of Education Award, which she gratefully accepted on February 26, 2013 on behalf of the Danforth Center. The award is given to members of the community who have contributed greatly to education programs in the Ladue School District.  

For the past three years, Dr. Woodford-Thomas has worked with the school district to establish and sustain the Ladue Student Mentoring Program for middle and high school science-minded students.  Through this partnership, Center scientists have mentored 30 students providing reading resources, topical information, lab materials, education and career training advice.  

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Terry has worked in the plant sciences and biomedical sciences for more than 30 years in various areas of study including cancer research, cell cycle regulation, biochemistry, immunology, plant-based vaccines, plant pathology, signal transduction and plant photosynthesis. Her passion for teaching lead to her transition from a principal investigator to directing science education efforts at the Center. Her areas of specialty include pre-college student mentoring, developing educational tools, resources and programs, conducting professional development workshops and creating citizen science opportunities.

Prior to joining the Danforth Center, Terry was a faculty member at Washington University School of Medicine. Before this, she held positions at Purdue University, Vanderbilt University and Harvard Medical School. Terry earned her B.S in Botany at Eastern Illinois University, her M.S. in Plant Physiology at Purdue and her Ph.D. in Developmental Biology from Virginia Tech.  

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The Danforth Center has expanded the training of students in the past year.  Currently, 16 Center faculty now hold 21 adjunct faculty positions at local universities. The Committee for Scientific Training and Mentoring (CSTM) was established to support the professional development of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and technical staff. We have expanded the NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates summer internship program by 34 percent, raising total number of students trained to 73.

Tomorrow, May 7, 2013 is recognized as National Teacher Day. We take this moment to thank Dr. Terry Woodford-Thomas and those serving in the education system that continue to strive every day to teach and educate our future scientists to expand their horizons and learn in new, creative ways.  

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